Dr Cathy Strong, foreground, with her students as they interview the new Irish ambassador to New Zealand. Dr Strong teaches journalism and public relations at Massey University in New Zealand.
Kāpiti’s Dr Cathy Strong, Senior Lecturer at Massey University’s School of Communication, Journalism and Marketing has recently received an international award for editing.
Dr Strong has been named the winner of the Dalton-Landon Foundation Service Award in recognition of her work editing SPIG’s online journal, Teaching Journalism & Mass Communication.
Dr Strong has been editor of TJMC for three years and previously won the GIFT Teaching award for multimedia education.
SPIG established the Dalton-Landon award in 2005 to recognise group members who have provided exemplary service to the organisation. The award is named after SPIG founders Terry Dalton and Kim Landon. Dr Strong has been an active member of AEJMC for more than a dozen years. She teaches journalism and public relations at Massey University in New Zealand, and previously taught at Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates.
Earlier in her career, Dr Strong taught at Kent State University in Ohio. Before joining academia, she had a varied professional career. She was a senior journalist in seven countries and at one time directed a well-regarded public relations company.
Dr Strong says journalism, public relations, academia and editorship all have the same foundation of trying to share accurate and useful information with the public.
“This may sound easy, but with the rapidly changing media scene overlaid with sophisticated misinformation, all professional communicators need to keep current,” she said. “This is where TJMC academic journal is so helpful, as well as networks such as the SPIG Listserv,” she says.
Dr Strong is the third editor of TJMC since its founding by Vivian Martin in 2011. Next year will be the journal’s 10th anniversary, and that’s a reason to celebrate. Twice a year it produces a selection of relevant and research-based information on teaching and the industry.
Dr Strong says because of the loyalty and professionalism of the journal’s teams, it provides readers with relevant insights. The current issue even has two articles relating to the effect the pandemic has on the industry.
